Some time ago, I visited the Singer Museum in Laren. Aside from the exhibition itself, a series of self-portraits adorned the walls. One struck me in particular; it had a very specific style and use of colour. It wasn’t till half a year later that I found out it was actually Heleen’s. Her style had already made a deep impression on me then and there. Our first painting was a View over Muiderberg, overlooking the beach and harbour.
The scene is of a late September day, where the bluest of skies are the backdrop for children playing happily in the sand. It was exactly what we described to Heleen and we were instantly taken by it. The painting often made us head out for a walk, just to see what the beach would be looking like that day. Now that we are no longer Muiderberg-inhabitants, we’ve ‘filled the void’ by acquiring another painting, a View over the Muiderberg waterline, depicting our much beloved Zeemeeuw. Her painting style made me so curious that I decided to take lessons at Heleen’s atelier. I loved it; the entire process of painting, of translating the image in your brain to paint on a canvas, is such a brilliant challenge. She always knew exactly what it was I was struggling with and showed me the next step to get through the maze. Our most recent assignment was a View of Vlieland, a gift for my parents. It holds all the elements we love so much about the island; the golden greens of the grasses along the salty shores, the ships anchoring on the shallows, the harbour and the ferry boat. My parents loved it because it tells the story we love so much. As do the other paintings we have of Heleen’s. We hope to enjoy them for years to come.
Greetings, C. and T. v.W-de B, Nijkerk